1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a combustor test rig, and more specifically to combustor test rig with instrumentation lines for monitoring the testing.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
A combustor, for example that used in a gas turbine engine, burns a fuel with a compressed air to produce a high temperature and pressure gas flow that is passed through a turbine to drive the compressor and to produce external power such as to power an aircraft or to drive an electric generator in an industrial gas turbine (IGT) engine. Combustor designs are tested on a test rig to determine performance and endurance, among other design features. It is also very expensive to test a combustor on these test rigs. There are few places in the world that have combustor testing facilities, and these test facilities cost up to tens of thousands of dollars per day to use. Thus, any time that is used for installation and disassembly of the testing equipment requires extra time spent in the testing facility in which no actual testing of the combustor is being performed.
Although this invention is geared toward a combustor test rig, it also applies to any hardware that needs to be tested in a pressure vessel with protruding instrumentation lines required.
When the test combustor or associated hardware has to be temporarily removed from the test rig for repairs, modifications or replacement, the instrumentation end connectors must be cut off so the instrumentation lines can pass thru the fittings. After modification or repair has been completed and the combustor hardware is re-installed into the test rig, the instrumentation line installation must be repeated. The instrumentation lines must be passed thru fittings, the fittings sealed and then the end connectors re-attached to the instrumentation lines. Since there can be several dozens of these instrumentation lines required for a combustor test rig, the re-installation of the instrumentation lines can become very expensive in terms of the skilled labor costs required to attach the connectors and the expensive downtime of the test cell being used to conduct the rig test.
Instrumentation permanently installed on the test combustor and the associated hardware must be able to pass thru the pressure vessel wall without any leakage. The instrumentation is typically a hollow metal tube (for measuring pressure) or a metal sheathing with internal wire leads (for measuring temperature or vibration, etc.). Standard sealed instrumentation fittings typically have holes the same size as the instrumentation lines outside diameters and a sealing material that seals the instrumentation lines when the fittings are tightened. After the instrumentation lines are passed thru the fittings, their end connectors are attached for connection to data recording devices or instrumentation extension lines.
When installing multiple instrumentation lines thru a flanged hole in the testing pressure vessel, it is difficult to keep the lines from moving. This is due to the instrumentation lines being light in weight and having a spring-back effect when moved, and the fact that they bump into each other as each line is being manipulated into position.